This one hits hard.
Malevolence aren’t exactly newcomers to the scene, but Where Only the Truth Is Spoken feels like a step up in every direction it's heavier, sharper, and a hell of a lot more focused. I had this on in the car and found myself involuntarily speeding up. Not advised, but understandable.
Right out of the gate, Blood To The Leech sets the tone with it's gnarly groove, chug-heavy riffing, and that voice. If you’re already a fan, you’ll feel at home. If not, this is a pretty brutal introduction. These songs don’t muck about. They hit you square in the chest and don’t stop swinging. Standout for me was If It’s All The Same To You. There’s something in the pacing and the vocal phrasing that sticks. It leans just enough into melody without losing its bite, and the breakdown lands with that perfect weight, not flashy, just right.
Malevolence walk that fine line between beatdown hardcore and groove metal with confidence here. You can tell they’ve put serious thought into keeping things both aggressive and listenable. There’s weight and anger, sure, but it’s channelled through well-crafted structures. They’re not just throwing riffs at a wall and hoping it sticks. Another high point is the guest spot on In Spite Randy Blythe’s voice brings extra venom, and it’s one of those perfect collaborations that doesn’t feel bolted on. There’s an added snap in the rhythm section and a sense of movement that gives the song teeth.
What I appreciated most is that while there’s clearly a polish to this release, it doesn’t feel overproduced. The drums hit hard, the vocals stay front and centre, and the guitar tone is thick enough to swim in. They’ve made a record that feels huge without overcomplicating it. Where Only the Truth Is Spoken isn’t breaking new ground, but it’s not trying to. It knows exactly what it is, a loud, heavy, honest metalcore record that doesn’t pretend to be anything else. It’s well executed, tightly delivered, and sounds absolutely monstrous live, I bet.
This one’s going to stay in rotation for a while. 8/10
Nad Sylvan - Monumentata (InsideOut Records) [Matt Bladen]
Nad Sylvan is the vocalist for Steve Hackett, anyone who has seen the Genesis guitarist and long-time solo artist live will recognise Sylvan’s voice as an integral part of the Hackett band. Nad has a similar timbre and tone to Peter Gabriel, rich in soul but perhaps a bit more nasal, I’d add a bit of Glenn Hughes in there too in the lower moments.
Nad Sylvan is the vocalist for Steve Hackett, anyone who has seen the Genesis guitarist and long-time solo artist live will recognise Sylvan’s voice as an integral part of the Hackett band. Nad has a similar timbre and tone to Peter Gabriel, rich in soul but perhaps a bit more nasal, I’d add a bit of Glenn Hughes in there too in the lower moments.
As well as being a vocalist for Genesis Revisited, he’s performed with The Flower Kings/Roine Stolt, Agents Of Mercy and he’s also a solo artist and multi-instrumentalist musician in his own right, with seven solo albums to his name so far. Monumentata is his eighth solo record and is his most personal to date, Sylvan reckoning that “75% of the lyrics are directly about my life.” The title track being particularly poignant, with just piano, vocals and some atmospherics. About 75% of the music is him too playing keyboards, guitar and bass alongside singing, so there’s a lot that’s solo about this record.
Now of course there’s a lot of prog on this record but not always Genesis, That’s Not Me swirls with the keys and harmonies of Yes, as Monte Carlo Priceless shifts toward the pastoral prog of The Flower Kings, introspective and beautiful with a modernity to it as well, Flowerland continuing in this vein with a bit of 60’s psychedelia to it as well. With I’m Stepping Out brings some left field quirkiness.
Now of course there’s a lot of prog on this record but not always Genesis, That’s Not Me swirls with the keys and harmonies of Yes, as Monte Carlo Priceless shifts toward the pastoral prog of The Flower Kings, introspective and beautiful with a modernity to it as well, Flowerland continuing in this vein with a bit of 60’s psychedelia to it as well. With I’m Stepping Out brings some left field quirkiness.
He’s not all alone on Monumentata, Sylvan reaches into his extensive prog address book to recruit guitarists Randy McStine (Porcupine Tree/Steven Wilson), David Kollar (experimental/film score artist), and Neil Whitford (Canadian session player). Drummers Marco Minnemann (The Aristocrats/Steven Wilson), Mirko DeMaio (The Flower Kings), Felix Lerhmann (Steve Hackett) and bassists Jonas Reingold (Hackett/The Flower Kings), Nick Beggs (The Aristocrats/Steven Wilson), and Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel/King Crimson) all join the ranks too.
As tracks such as Make Somebody Proud, draws from the AOR/Prog hybrid of Asia featuring Sheona Urquhart and Jade Ell on soulful backing vocals and Unkillable has the world rhythms of a Gabriel solo record, Nad Sylvan’s eighth solo album displays his skills aren’t just limited to Genesis. 8/10
Death Pill - Sologamy (New Heavy Sounds) [Matt Bladen]
Politically charged and socially conscious trio Death Pill return with their sophomore studio album. Mariana (guitar/vocals), Anastasiia (drums/vocals) and Nataliia (bass/vocals) have overcome periods of separation between them due to being in different countries (Spain, Australia & Ukraine) and the conflict in their native home of Ukraine affecting, Mariana the most as she was based in Kyiv, facing power cuts, air raids all caused delays, the band unable to meet, to actually play through these tracks together while writing.
As did losing their artwork guy to national service, but they fought through this, creating a record that is an ode to empowerment and a triumph over adversity, but for the first time unveils a more sensitive and vulnerable side, as the band sum up their power pop single Phone Call "We are opening our hearts, hoping that someone else is also willing to share the journey with us." I beseech you come on this journey with them as Sologamy sees Death Pill evolving from their Riot Grrrl beginnings into a more complex beast. Adding strings and synths and shifting time signatures to their songs they beyond punchy punk sounds (Ugly Me) into grunge, thrash (Listen To Me, Sister), emo and of course pop (Don’t Say It So) in several guises.
Everything sculpted to embolden their message of self-care, the title, the songs, the evolution of their song writing all comes from a sisterhood committed to being supportive of each other’s happiness. While their resolve was tested with their debut, their recent touring activity and the positive response everywhere they went surely put them in a headspace to give this album everything, and everything is what you get. The changes of pace in the album are what keep it frothing along with excitement, be it Craterface’s snarling hardcore, the dreamy shoegaze opening of Hey, Man or Monsters (In My Brain) which owes a lot to Mr Bungle, Sologamy never sticks to a pattern or a style too long, the entire of wealth of influences knitted together so no two songs of the ten sound alike.
Sologamy is an album crafted with technically across continents but completed by the burning ambition and bond of between these three women. 9/10
The Medea Project – Kharon (Self Released) [Spike]
Now this is something else entirely.
Kharon by The Medea Project is bleak, slow, atmospheric and absolutely nails what it sets out to do. I first gave it a spin at home with headphones, and then again late at night, and both times I found myself completely pulled in. This is music that creates a space around you and drags you into it, whether you're ready or not.
Politically charged and socially conscious trio Death Pill return with their sophomore studio album. Mariana (guitar/vocals), Anastasiia (drums/vocals) and Nataliia (bass/vocals) have overcome periods of separation between them due to being in different countries (Spain, Australia & Ukraine) and the conflict in their native home of Ukraine affecting, Mariana the most as she was based in Kyiv, facing power cuts, air raids all caused delays, the band unable to meet, to actually play through these tracks together while writing.
As did losing their artwork guy to national service, but they fought through this, creating a record that is an ode to empowerment and a triumph over adversity, but for the first time unveils a more sensitive and vulnerable side, as the band sum up their power pop single Phone Call "We are opening our hearts, hoping that someone else is also willing to share the journey with us." I beseech you come on this journey with them as Sologamy sees Death Pill evolving from their Riot Grrrl beginnings into a more complex beast. Adding strings and synths and shifting time signatures to their songs they beyond punchy punk sounds (Ugly Me) into grunge, thrash (Listen To Me, Sister), emo and of course pop (Don’t Say It So) in several guises.
Everything sculpted to embolden their message of self-care, the title, the songs, the evolution of their song writing all comes from a sisterhood committed to being supportive of each other’s happiness. While their resolve was tested with their debut, their recent touring activity and the positive response everywhere they went surely put them in a headspace to give this album everything, and everything is what you get. The changes of pace in the album are what keep it frothing along with excitement, be it Craterface’s snarling hardcore, the dreamy shoegaze opening of Hey, Man or Monsters (In My Brain) which owes a lot to Mr Bungle, Sologamy never sticks to a pattern or a style too long, the entire of wealth of influences knitted together so no two songs of the ten sound alike.
Sologamy is an album crafted with technically across continents but completed by the burning ambition and bond of between these three women. 9/10
The Medea Project – Kharon (Self Released) [Spike]
Now this is something else entirely.
Kharon by The Medea Project is bleak, slow, atmospheric and absolutely nails what it sets out to do. I first gave it a spin at home with headphones, and then again late at night, and both times I found myself completely pulled in. This is music that creates a space around you and drags you into it, whether you're ready or not.
Absence, In Loss builds with that doomy patience, very much not in a rush, not trying to impress. Just wallowing, beautifully. There’s a grim elegance in the layering, and the vocals are more like howls from somewhere deep under the floorboards. Not immediate, but very effective. The track that really stuck was Upon Your Bones (Stygian Surf). It's got this ritualistic crawl to it. It's soaked in atmosphere, then twisting into something heavier just when you think it’s about to stop. It’s dark, compelling stuff, the kind of song you want to go back to because you feel like you missed something in the shadows.
What I admire most here is that nothing feels forced. The band are happy to let things breathe. There are long, haunting passages where little happens but that space is part of the sound. It builds tension and unease without relying on big riffs or fast tempos. This is doom with a cinematic streak. Production-wise, it’s got that rough edge I like. You can hear fingers on strings, breaths between vocal lines. It feels organic, alive. There’s a human weight to it all, and a sense of vulnerability that cuts deeper than volume ever could.
Kharon isn’t an easy listen and I love it for that. This is the kind of record that reveals more on each play. It’s not about hooks or instant payoffs. It’s a slow burn, a descent. But for those willing to make the journey, it’s an incredibly rewarding one.
One to sit with, not just skim. 9/10
What I admire most here is that nothing feels forced. The band are happy to let things breathe. There are long, haunting passages where little happens but that space is part of the sound. It builds tension and unease without relying on big riffs or fast tempos. This is doom with a cinematic streak. Production-wise, it’s got that rough edge I like. You can hear fingers on strings, breaths between vocal lines. It feels organic, alive. There’s a human weight to it all, and a sense of vulnerability that cuts deeper than volume ever could.
Kharon isn’t an easy listen and I love it for that. This is the kind of record that reveals more on each play. It’s not about hooks or instant payoffs. It’s a slow burn, a descent. But for those willing to make the journey, it’s an incredibly rewarding one.
One to sit with, not just skim. 9/10
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